


Stand On Ceremony

by Anonymous



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Courting Rituals, Gifts, Gossip, Kissing, M/M, Secret Relationship, secret meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 11:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22614163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: For some bots, it's all they have left.
Relationships: Mirage/Thundercracker
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26
Collections: Anonymous, Maccadam's Back Room First Run





	Stand On Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [fadedlikethelilac](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedlikethelilac/pseuds/fadedlikethelilac) in the [Maccadams1](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Maccadams1) collection. 

> **Prompt:**
> 
> The golden age is long gone, the towers of Iacon fell, and the elita of Vos lost. There's few left who even care, but some times it's nice to get together and remember... even when the only other person who understands isn't even on the same side. 
> 
> idk I just like Mirage/Thundercracker where they were both elita so have a bunch of stuff they can relate about.  
(could be completely tame stuff about how no one has proper maners any more or doesn't drink their energon properly. or you could do something different with weird courtship rituals or kinky sex.)
> 
> * * *
> 
> I went with "weird courtship rituals". Hope you like!

Thundercracker coasted down to the mesa on his thrusters, looking around to make sure he wasn’t followed. Satisfied, he shook out his plating, absentmindedly smoothing down the flaps on his wings as they ruffled, and switched to looking for the mech he was supposed to meeting.

“Are we alone?” someone asked from directly behind him, purring, sultry, and cultured.

Thundercracker’s first instinct was to jump into the air and get away as fast as possible. His second instinct was to draw the energy blade under his vambrace and sink it into the plating of whoever had managed to sneak up on him. The first was flyer-coded, the second was honed by centuries upon millenia of battle, and neither would do in this instance. They weren’t playing by the rules of war here, no, they were playing by the rules of the Towers.

Thundercracker turned around slowly and eyeballed the seemingly empty air behind him. “Indeed we are.”

Mirage shimmered into view and threw his arms around his intended’s neck. “So I can do anything to you that I want,” he said, smirking as his optics dimmed suggestively.

This was part of the game, too, Thundercracker reminded himself, and he was honor bound to refuse. “Not anything,” he said, wrapping his hands around the Autobot’s shoulders. “But I wouldn’t say no to a welcome.”

Mirage smiled approvingly and leaned up for a chaste kiss before moving back, everything that was purposefully seductive before vanished, and its place was just Mirage – elegant as ever.

There was a reason he’d agreed to their arranged bonding, Thundercracker remembered. “I brought high-grade,” he said, pulling a sealed, opaque cube out of his subspace.

Mirage’s nose wrinkled. “Not that home-distilled swill both of our factions are so fond of?”

“Would I sully your affections with such inferior a gift?” Thundercracker asked.

Mirage actually stopped and thought about it for a moment, and Thundercracker genuinely couldn’t tell if it was for show or not. “Well,” Mirage eventually said, optics twinkling. “You are a Decepticon.”

Thundercracker smiled graciously and pulled out a mesh blanket to spread over the ground. “Please, sit.”

Mirage sat, demurely folding his long legs underneath him.

Thundercracker eased down next to him with significantly less grace, offering the cube.

Mirage cracked it open and held it close to his chemoreceptors before taking a smooth drink. He sighed in contentment. “Much better than swill.”

Thundercracker pulled a clear cube of said swill out of his subspace for himself.

Mirage watched, frowning, but unable to do anything. To share the gift would be to refuse it, would be to refuse the suit, and he clung to his relationship with as much desperation for normality as affection for his suitor.

The two sat in silence, watching the flat prairie around them.

“Smokescreen and Bumblebee are courting,” Mirage said, sure as always that their agreement to keep discussions at times like this private still held. “There’s no finesse to it. They stumble around each other like newborn zap-ponies and hop into each other’s berth at the slightest provocation. I asked them politely what rules they were following, because I certainly didn’t recognize it, and then came Cliffjumper, butting in with an assumption and a rebuke as always.” He sighed.

Thundercracker put a hand on his shoulder. “I know what you mean. I walked into the medbay recently to find Long Haul and Bombshell going at it.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “I never wanted to see any of my fellow Decepticons’ interface equipment, and those two together….”

“The medbay?” Mirage asked. “Were you injured?”

Yes, Thundercracker thought privately, your pet Polyhexian shot me straight through the wing right in front of you and then the demon Kaonite twins tag-teamed me. He shook his head. “Nothing serious,” he lied.

Mirage smiled graciously. “I’m glad.” He leaned up and delivered another chaste kiss.

Thundercracker gently cupped the back of his head, holding him close but not restraining him as they continued.

Mirage grabbed him by the chestplate and leaned back, dragging him over top of him.

Thundercracker pulled back. “Like this, if we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to.”

Mirage nodded slowly. “Then perhaps we should end this meeting early.”

This, too, was a rule. Thundercracker hesitated and pulled back reluctantly, folding the mesh blanket and tucking it into his subspace. “Until next time,” he said.

“Until then,” Mirage said, and then he vanished.

Thundercracker swallowed and took a moment to compose himself. Then he flew away.


End file.
